The Issue
Cosmetics
Neither industry nor government screens cosmetics and personal care products for safety before they’re for sale. EWG's Skin Deep tells you what to watch out for in more than 74,000 products.
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The Latest on Cosmetics
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September 26, 2007
Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D.
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As FDA officials and the cosmetics industry prepared to huddle behind closed doors without input from outside groups to discuss “regulatory obstacles” between countries, Environmental Working Group (EWG) released the results of a new investigation that found literally hundreds of cosmetics sold in the U.S. containing chemicals the industry itself has determined to be unsafe even when used as directed.
Read MoreEWG issued the following statement today in response to the Food and Drug Administration’s latest proposed federal safety standards for sunscreens. FDA first announced its intention to implement safety standards for sunscreens 28 years ago. To date, none have been finalized. These new proposed regulations would for the first time put a permanent safety standard in place for UVA protection.
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Sustainlane.com is a user-driven directory of green products and business -- think social bookmarking meets the yellow pages. They've got a series of videos about a community of friends, The Unsustainables. This video about cosmetics is called Skin Deep (hey! clever name!). To find out what's in your personal care products, visit EWG's Skin Deep database.
Read MoreEWG and East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) researchers analyzed samples of wastewater from residential, commercial, and industrial sites in the San Francisco Bay Area. 18 of 19 wastewater samples examined contained at least 1 of 3 unregulated, widely-used hormone disruptors – phthalates, bisphenol A, and triclosan; 2 samples contained all 3 substances. Despite sophisticated wastewater treatment, these chemicals were detected in treated waters discharged into the Bay.
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Ever wonder about the safety of your imported cosmetics? Last week, the United States and the European Union agreed to trade information on safety of cosmetics. The agreement is planned in hopes of improving trade in cosmetics.
Read MoreQuestion: I'm concerned about my 8-month-old daughter coming into contact with phthalates. Should I throw out any plastic toys, or are there some companies that don't use phthalates? Toy companies I've contacted have told me phthalates are harmless. Is this true?
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Three years ago, EWG launched a unique online consumer database called Skin Deep that assesses and compares the safety of personal care products. To this day, Skin Deep is the only online resource for those wishing to compare safety ratings for various personal care products.
Read MoreJoanna Gardiner, managing director of Irish cosmetics manufacturer Ovelle Pharmaceuticals posed nude in an internet campaign to promote its chemical-free products. She appears with other nude female and male models to promote that the brand has nothing to hide.
Read MoreA federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought against The Ecology Center and two Michigan pediatricians who stood up in support of banning the dangerous chemical lindane in anti-head-lice shampoos.
Read MoreQuestion: Is mineral-based make-up safer for you than make-up bought at drug stores or department stores? Most of the mineral-based make-up contains titanium dioxide and/or silica, and some contain iron of some type. Is this okay for your skin? I am wondering how such make-up is absorbed into the body, too!
Read MoreThe attire for Project Prom 2007, yesterday's Teens for Safe Cosmetics rally, symbolized the commitment to fight for safe and healthy beauty products. Live music and passionate speeches from the teens and their supporters rang out over San Francisco's Union Square, as rallygoers and passing pedestrians enjoyed free green makeovers on a rare warm and sunny day in the City.
Read MoreA while ago, it would be unusual for men to go shopping for makeup, and even less likely for them to wear it. That trend is changing now, with an increased percentage of men who decide to “pretty up” by using make up.
Read MoreWired.com's Patrick Di Justo gives us the breakdown of 11 different chemicals commonly found in shaving cream, and the functions they each serve. I've reprinted the full text below. To see what's in your shaving cream and how it stacks up to others out there vist EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. Womens's shaving creams compared here.
Read MoreDid you know that many cosmetics have a shelf life of only one year, and the applicators of some products, like eyeliner, need to be washed or discarded even more frequently? According to the FDA, failing to do so can lead to bacterial infection.
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Question: There's an internet rumor that says you can check for lead in lipstick by rubbing a gold ring on the lipstick. If the lipstick turns black, it contains lead. Is there any truth to this?
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Used cooking oil may find a second life in cosmetic products. via New Scientist. (5 Mar 2007)
Read MoreA major loophole in federal law allows fragrance manufacturers to hide potentially hazardous chemicals in product scents, including substances linked to allergies, birth defects, and even cancer. Because they won't tell you what's in the scents they sell you, we combed through thousands of Valentine's Day gift ideas to bring you products that not only smell great, but that are also free of hidden, potentially hazardous fragrances.
Read MoreMany of the cosmetic industry's chemical safety assessments reveal that common petroleum-based cosmetic ingredients can be contaminated with a cancer-causing impurity called 1,4-dioxane.
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